Car-coupling



(No Mo M. J. LORR GAR GOUPLING.

No. 415,309. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

I 10 described, and is intended as an improvement UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MADISON J. LORRAINE, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE KEYSTONE OAR COUPLERCOMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

.CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,309, dated November19, 1889.

Application filed September 17, 1888. Serial No. 285,607. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MADIsoN J. LORRAINE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missonri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. My invention consistsin the construction and novel combination of parts as hereinafter onwhat is known as the M. O. B. type of coupler, and particularly on whatis known as the Dowling coupler.

Figure l is a plan, partly in section, of my improved coupler. Fig. 2 isa plan of the knuckle. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the Idraw-head. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the line 4l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the locking-pin. Fig. (5 is abottom view of the locking-pin. Fig. 7 is a plan, partlyin section, ofthe Dowling coupler.

Similar letters of reference denote identical parts.

Referring to the drawings, (1, represents the knuckle, and b thedraw-head, which are designed to be attached together.

Fig.7 represents the Dowling coupler as it is now manufactured and inservice. In this coupler the knuckle is attached to the draw- 0 head androtates at 00 and is locked at .2. In this case the knuckle can beconsidered as a lever, with the fulcrum at 00, and the mass to be movedat Therefore the forward portion (marked a, Fig. 7) is the long endof 35 the lever, and consequently any movement of its shorter end is greatlyincreased at the point marked y, and, as no obstruction to this andfurther lateral movement is placed to right of the knuckle and above thefulcrum 4.0 00, the knuckle has also considerable lateral play to theright, occasioned by the necessary looseness to allow the parts to workfreely together. The greater the wear on the lockin g mechanism of thecoupler the greater will both the rotary and lateral movement of theknuckle be. In consequence of this construction and the location of thefulcrum and locking mechanism the Dowling knuckle under heavy tensionpulls out until its coup 5o ling-face at 3 is about in the positionshown by the dotted lines, and as a result, when two are coupledtogether, these faces present inclined surfaces to each other and slipout of engagement laterally and the cars come uncoupled without thecoupler being unlocked. This has occurred frequently in service. Myimprovement is intended to obviate this diiiiculty, and is accomplishedby placing the fulcrum of the lever farther forward and to the left, asseen in Fig. 1.

Instead of carrying the pivot portion entirely through the Width of. thedraw-head, as in Fig. 7, I construct the circular bosses c 0 extendingfor a limited distance only from either ear of the draw-head. (See Fig.4.) These circular bosses are united to the Wall of the draw-head on theright. Suitable bearings c c are provided in the hub of the knuckle forthese bosses to rotate in. Shoulders d d are extended for a limiteddistance from either shell of the draw-head, and the shoulders (Z dareconstructed on the knuckle. The shoulders cl d thus act to prevent thelateral movement of the knuckle by bearingagainst the bosses c c on theright and against the shoulders d d on the left. The stops g g limit theinward rotary movement of the knuckle. These stops can be placed fartherto the right, near the summit of the arcs forming the opposed curvedfaces of the draw-head and knuckle, if desired.

The curved beads e e and e c .serve to assist the other bearings toretain the knuckle in place.

Figs. 5 and 6, and f, Fig. 4, show the special form of locking-pin usedin this construction. The upper part of this pin is square, or nearlyso. The lower part of the pin is much smaller than the upper and extendsthrough an opening in the lower shell of draw-head, and is 0 providedwith a cross-pin, so it cannot be withdrawn. The locking-pin is cut awayabout intermediate of its length, forming a square shoulder, which restsupon the knuckle in the groove f when the knuckle is open, 5 and fallsin front of the knuckle when it is closed. There are no inclines on thispin or on the lever-arm or knuckle.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, the difierent features of thisimprovement, as I have already claimed them in other applications; butWhat I do desire to claim is their peculiar application and adaptationto each other, as herein set forth.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, the knuckle a, provided with the bearingsc c and shoulders d d, in combination with the draw-head Z), providedwith the bosses c c and shoulders d d, all

located and constructed substantially as described, for the purposes setforth.

2. In a car-coupler provided with an attached pivoted knuckle a, theshoulders d d, and curved beads e e, in combination with the shoulders dcl and curved beads e e, substantially as described, for the purpose setforth.

MADISON J. LORRAINE.

Witnesses:

PATRICK B. RIDDLY, ALBERT GERsT.

